4G LTE in Africa: Courtesy Alcatel-Lucent

Leading communication equipment company Alcatel-Lucent, S.A (ALU) and Surfline Communications Ltd. recently announced that they have successfully deployed the first commercial 4G LTE (long-term evolution) network in Ghana. The collaboration of these companies to provide high-speed mobile broadband services is intended to meet the demand for fast wireless internet access in West and Central Africa.

Alcatel-Lucent will assist Surfline to roll out next-generation mobile communication by providing hardware and software in major cities, followed by a nationwide rollout. Additionally, Alcatel-Lucent will also provide installation, optimization, maintenance and managed services.

Alcatel-Lucent believes that its new IP architecture-based network will assist Surfline to expeditiously and economically expand mobile broadband capacity in order to meet the burgeoning customer demand, driven by the launch of low-cost smart phones.

The 4G LTE network is expected to provide quality service to Surfline’s customers to access social networking sites, indulge in online gaming, view streamed videos and avail video calling and e-mail services. Moreover, the 4G-LTE network launch in Africa is likely to benefit the associated industries, thereby developing the overall economy. Thus the Alcatel-Lucent and Surfline collaboration is expected to positively contribute to Ghana’s social and economic growth.

Alcatel-Lucent has been strategically forming alliance with a number of telecom companies to provide technology backup srvices for wireless broadband. Last month, it entered into an agreement with Telenor Group to provide high speed Internet services to Telenor’s 2G, 3G and 4G customers across Europe and Asia.